GYMNASTICS. 



from beneath it ; their vests were purple ; 

 and twists of gold, disposed in circles, at- 

 tached to the neck, spread down their 

 breasts ; quivers hung on their shoulders : 

 they curried two spears; and were mount- 

 ed on spirited horses. Virgil, in the pas- 

 sage alluded to, divides the youths into 

 three troops, each consisting of twelve, 

 under the command of a captain, amount- 

 ing in the aggregate to thirty-nine indi- 

 viduals. Thus equipped, they walked 

 their horses round the circus. 



" When sage Epitides, to give the 



sign, 

 Crack'd his long whip, and made the 



course begin." 



They then started forward at full speed, 

 and afterwards formed into divisions, re- 

 turning back. 



" while, from their fingers borne, 



Their hostile darts aloft upon the wind 



Fly shivering; then in circling num- 

 bers join'd, 



The manag'd coursers with due mea- 

 sures bound, 



And run the rapid ring, and trace the 

 mazy round. 



Files facing files, their bold companions 

 dare, 



And wheel and charge, and urge the 

 sportive war. 



Now flight they feign, and naked"") 

 backs expose ; 



Now with turn'd spears drive head- I 

 _JpjQg^on the foes ; [" 



And now confederate grown, in | 

 peaceful ranks they close," J 



The chariot races do not strictly be- 

 long to th'.s article, but they were so far 

 connected with personal exercises in the 

 Circus, that it would be almost unpardon- 

 able to pass them without notice. Strength 

 and agility were entirely useless in ihe 

 conduct of the chariot ; courage and ad- 

 dress in guiding the fiery steeds were 

 all that was requisite in the driver. The 

 charioteers were formed into companies 

 in the Roman Circensian spectacles, and 

 they excited great interest throughout 

 Rome, the inhabitants of which were ge- 

 nerally divided into parties, each attached 

 to their favourite company. This, in com- 

 mon with their other sports, was derived 

 from the Greeks. The different ancient 

 divisions were distinguished by the co- 

 lours of their habits, which were green, 

 red, white, and blue : and they were 

 termed the Prasina, the Russata, the Al- 

 )ga, and the Yeneta. 



The antiquity of the Pyrhica, or Salta- 

 tio Pyrhica, led ancient authors into many 

 fanciful ideas, whence this warlike dance 

 originated. Homer introduces it in its 

 primitive state, in his description of the 

 twelfth department of the shield of Achil- 

 les. " The skilful Vulcan then designed 

 the figure and various motions of a dance, 

 like that which Daedalus, of old, contrived 

 in Gnossus for the fair Ariadne. There 

 the young men and maidens danced hand 

 in hand; the maids were dressed in li- 

 nen garments, the men in rich and shin- 

 ing stuffs ; the maids had flowery crowns 

 on their heads, the men had swords of 

 gold hanging from their sides in belts of 

 silver. Here they seem to run in a ring 

 with active feet, as swiftly as a wheel runs 

 round when tried by the hands of the 

 potter. There they appeared to move in 

 many figures, and sometimes to meet, 

 sometimes to wind from each other. A 

 multitude of spectators stood round, de- 

 lighted with the dance. In the micMle, 

 two nimble tumblers exercrsed themselves 

 in feats of activity, while the song was 

 carried on by the whole circle." 



At the period when the dance was prac- 

 tised in the Roman amphitheatres, it had 

 assumed a warlike appearance, the per- 

 formers advancing and flying alternately, 

 as if engaged in battle. Claudian says, 



" Their moving breasts in tuneful changes 



rise, 

 The shields salute their sides, or straight 



are shewn 

 In air high waving; deep the targets 



groan, 

 Struck with alternate swords, which 



thence rebound, 

 And end the concert and the sacre/1 



sound." 



. Scaliger informs us, with some degree 

 of vanity, that he had often danced the 

 pyrhic in presence of the Emperor Maxi- 

 milian, to the admiration and amazement 

 of the inhabitants of Germany, and, as it 

 appears, to that of the Emperor, who, 

 he adds, exclaimed, " This boy either 

 was born in a coat of mail, instead of a 

 skin, or else has been rocked in one in- 

 stead of a cradle." 



Real or supposed improvements in the 

 customs of the European nations have 

 now nearly abolished or altered almost all 

 of the ancient gymnastic exercises; active 

 feats and sudden turns of the body, or 

 tumbling, are totally despised and confin- 

 ed to the most pitiful public exhibitions t 

 playing with the ball is very little p?actisr 



